What's Hot

Betty Hill Dress

University of New Hampshire, Durham, NHIn 1961, Betty and Barney Hill were allegedly abducted by aliens. This vintage, torn dress worn by Betty that strange fall night still carries a stain of an otherworldly nature. I’m afraid to ask.9601280

University of New Hampshire, Durham, NHIn 1961, Betty and Barney Hill were allegedly abducted by aliens. This vintage, torn dress worn by Betty that strange fall night still carries a stain of an otherworldly nature. I’m afraid to ask.

The Mars Spirit Rover

The Mars Spirit Rover

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NMIt’s 2004 and our robot representative moves along on the Martian surface hobbled by a malfunctioning wheel. But the broken wheel scrapes away soil, leading to a major discovery: silica. Proof there once was water on the Red Planet.9601280

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NMIt’s 2004 and our robot representative moves along on the Martian surface hobbled by a malfunctioning wheel. But the broken wheel scrapes away soil, leading to a major discovery: silica. Proof there once was water on the Red Planet.

Sheet Music

Sheet Music

Circus World Museum, Baraboo, WIJuly 6, 1944. A terrible fire consumes a Ringling Brothers’ circus tent, killing 168 people. The investigation turns up the problem: the tent was waterproofed using paraffin and gasoline. What were they thinking?9601280

Circus World Museum, Baraboo, WIJuly 6, 1944. A terrible fire consumes a Ringling Brothers’ circus tent, killing 168 people. The investigation turns up the problem: the tent was waterproofed using paraffin and gasoline. What were they thinking?

The Flying Car

The Flying Car

Museum of Flight, Seattle, WAThe initial test flight of this machine must have been a terror. After all, cars should be driven, not flown (just one man’s opinion).9601280

Museum of Flight, Seattle, WAThe initial test flight of this machine must have been a terror. After all, cars should be driven, not flown (just one man’s opinion).

Credit Card Machine

Credit Card Machine

Valdez Museum, Valdez, AKOn March 27, 1964 the second-largest earthquake in recorded history strikes Valdez, Alaska. Fifty years later this credit card machine from a gas station along the destroyed waterfront turns up in the weeds, a card still intact.9601280

Valdez Museum, Valdez, AKOn March 27, 1964 the second-largest earthquake in recorded history strikes Valdez, Alaska. Fifty years later this credit card machine from a gas station along the destroyed waterfront turns up in the weeds, a card still intact.

Cher Ami, Hero Pigeon

Cher Ami, Hero Pigeon

US Army Signal Corps Museum, Fort Gordon, GAIn 1918, a homing pigeon named Cher Ami saved the lives of 194 US soldiers under a deadly barrage of friendly fire -- and this pigeon did it flying 25 miles after taking a bullet from a German sniper.9601280

US Army Signal Corps Museum, Fort Gordon, GAIn 1918, a homing pigeon named Cher Ami saved the lives of 194 US soldiers under a deadly barrage of friendly fire -- and this pigeon did it flying 25 miles after taking a bullet from a German sniper.

Kittenger's Jumpsuit

Kittenger's Jumpsuit

National Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, OHIn 1958, Capt. Joseph Kittenger wore this jumpsuit to test a new parachute system designed to save the lives of ejecting US pilots. But he would have to risk his own life, jumping from more than 20 miles above the earth!9601280

National Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, OHIn 1958, Capt. Joseph Kittenger wore this jumpsuit to test a new parachute system designed to save the lives of ejecting US pilots. But he would have to risk his own life, jumping from more than 20 miles above the earth!

Pullman Car Lighting Brackets

Pullman Car Lighting Brackets

Seattle Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, WA A devastating avalanche destroys a Great Northern Railway car stopped in the Cascade Mountains en route to Seattle. Decades later, these bent pieces of metal turn up, evidence of a tragedy that killed more than 100 passengers.9601280

Seattle Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, WA A devastating avalanche destroys a Great Northern Railway car stopped in the Cascade Mountains en route to Seattle. Decades later, these bent pieces of metal turn up, evidence of a tragedy that killed more than 100 passengers.

Einstein's Stolen Brain

Einstein's Stolen Brain

Mutter Museum, Philadelphia, PAWhen Albert Einstein dies in 1955, his brain is illegally preserved and dissected by the doctor who performs his autopsy. He mounts specimens of the brain on microscope slides -- and makes a valuable discovery.9601280

Mutter Museum, Philadelphia, PAWhen Albert Einstein dies in 1955, his brain is illegally preserved and dissected by the doctor who performs his autopsy. He mounts specimens of the brain on microscope slides -- and makes a valuable discovery.

Spanish Treasure

Spanish Treasure

McLarty Treasure Museum, Sebastian, FL In 1961, after a decade of searching, Kip Wagner realizes his dream and discovers buried Spanish treasure at the bottom of the sea -- worth about 20 million bucks then and a whole lot more today.9601280

McLarty Treasure Museum, Sebastian, FL In 1961, after a decade of searching, Kip Wagner realizes his dream and discovers buried Spanish treasure at the bottom of the sea -- worth about 20 million bucks then and a whole lot more today.

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This aged dossier may contain critical information linking a gruesome turn-of-the-century murder to one of the world’s most notorious serial killers. 9601280

This aged dossier may contain critical information linking a gruesome turn-of-the-century murder to one of the world’s most notorious serial killers.

Journal With Jack the Ripper Evidence

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Now housed at New York City’s Municipal Archives, the tattered journal is tied to a brutal murder at New York City’s East River Hotel in 1891. Could the woman, a well-known prostitute by the name of Carrie Brown, have been murdered by London’s infamous Jack the Ripper? 9601280

Now housed at New York City’s Municipal Archives, the tattered journal is tied to a brutal murder at New York City’s East River Hotel in 1891. Could the woman, a well-known prostitute by the name of Carrie Brown, have been murdered by London’s infamous Jack the Ripper?

Ice picks

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At the Vicksburg Depot Museum in Vicksburg, MI, 2 medieval-looking implements hearken back to a time in American history when a brave group of industrious men teamed up with a visionary businessman to change dinner tables across America. 9601280

At the Vicksburg Depot Museum in Vicksburg, MI, 2 medieval-looking implements hearken back to a time in American history when a brave group of industrious men teamed up with a visionary businessman to change dinner tables across America.

Ice picks

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The ice picks housed here tell the story of the invention of chilled train cars -- allowing raw meat to be transported across the country without spoiling. 9601280

The ice picks housed here tell the story of the invention of chilled train cars -- allowing raw meat to be transported across the country without spoiling.

Counterfeit money

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At the Secret Service Museum in Washington, DC, select visitors can view a weathered $20 bill, which was once wielded by a brilliant and elusive master-criminal whose forgeries triggered a decade-long manhunt.9601280

At the Secret Service Museum in Washington, DC, select visitors can view a weathered $20 bill, which was once wielded by a brilliant and elusive master-criminal whose forgeries triggered a decade-long manhunt.

US Secret Service Museum

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Few may realize that the US Secret Service was created by President Lincoln to stop counterfeiting, which had become rampant during the Civil War. One man, who became known as “Jim the Penman,” spent weeks on each of the bills he created. 9601280

Few may realize that the US Secret Service was created by President Lincoln to stop counterfeiting, which had become rampant during the Civil War. One man, who became known as “Jim the Penman,” spent weeks on each of the bills he created.

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At the Salon de Magie in Loveland, OH, amidst the many artifacts chronicling the history of magic, one well-polished antique chest tells a shocking tale of deception and international intrigue.9601280

At the Salon de Magie in Loveland, OH, amidst the many artifacts chronicling the history of magic, one well-polished antique chest tells a shocking tale of deception and international intrigue.

Wooden chest used by French magician

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This wooden chest was used by famous French magician Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin to help Emperor Napoleon quell a revolution in Algeria. The box was used in a trick to prove that French magic was more powerful than the magic of the tribal chiefs who were threatening revolution.9601280

This wooden chest was used by famous French magician Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin to help Emperor Napoleon quell a revolution in Algeria. The box was used in a trick to prove that French magic was more powerful than the magic of the tribal chiefs who were threatening revolution.

Watch It

Host Don Wildman examines a trunk that may be evidence of a historic journey through Death Valley, a group of bricks from a Civil War prison break, and a human scalp that tells an astounding tale of frontier bravery.

Don Wildman investigates a tattered briefcase belonging to an eccentric doctor who went to gruesome lengths in search of the fountain of youth, a massive chunk of stone which some believe is the fossilized remains of a biblical ship, and a reel-to-reel tape recorder used by one of the FBI's most prolific and notorious informants.

Host Don Wildman examines an antique doll tied to a woman’s confounding and tragic demise, an experiment gone awry that ignites the world of fashion and an audacious publicity stunt that ends in disaster.

Don Wildman examines scraps of metal linked to a nuclear nightmare, a pair of binoculars wielded by a high-flying visionary and a life-sized effigy that immortalizes one of the West's most notorious cons.

Host Don Wildman examines an antique doll tied to a woman’s confounding and tragic demise, an experiment gone awry that ignites the world of fashion and an audacious publicity stunt that ends in disaster.

Don Wildman examines scraps of metal linked to a nuclear nightmare, a pair of binoculars wielded by a high-flying visionary and a life-sized effigy that immortalizes one of the West's most notorious cons.

Bonnie and Clyde's rifle, a space suit worn by a forgotten pioneer of the skies, a futuristic train and a bizarre a deep-sea Fish are featured. And does a tattered diary finally end one of exploration's fiercest debates?

Host Don Wildman examines a dress worn by the star of an infamous Hollywood movie with a cursed past, a lump of gray clay that spawned one of America’s most iconic toys, and a faded brown document from a murder case that inspired a chilling literary classic.

Don Wildman inspects a makeshift harness that played a role in a dangerous mine rescue, a surfboard with evidence of a brutal, deadly oceanic predator, and a crude explosive device at the center of a sinister bank heist.

What does the largest T. rex skeleton ever discovered tell us about the prehistoric food chain? Who was behind the biggest art heist in American history? And what does a simple garment reveal about the assassination of a US president?

Host Don Wildman explores a plaster cast of hoof prints made by a mythic beast, a colossal war machine that once laid waste to an American city, and a presidential train car that remains shrouded in mystery.

Did the Japanese send weapons of mass destruction to the US mainland during World War II? Is a statue of illusionist Harry Houdini haunted? Does an old hatchet hold the key to one of the nation's most sensational unsolved murders?

How did a manuscript and eyeglass case save Teddy Roosevelt's life? Could a 1912 wireless message warning about icebergs have saved the Titanic from her tragic fate? And does a large primate tooth prove the legend of Bigfoot is real?

Friday,Apr 3

1 | 12c

The Kiss that Saved a Million Lives, Heist of the Century, Lorenzo's Oil

Don Wildman unlocks the secrets of an infamous drug syndicate and how it was brought down, when he reviews a dossier containing a series of photographs. He examines a gold ingot recovered from a long-lost sunken treasure.

Don Wildman investigates a handcrafted doll that is linked to one of the most memorable criminal cases of the 1930s, a glass bottle with a secret message, and a wire mesh screen that served as a window into a scary encounter.

Don Wildman examines a failed invention that helped create a multi-billion dollar industry, the bell of a ship whose crew vanished at sea, and a footprint of a lizard-like creature that roams the swamps of South Carolina.

Host Don Wildman investigates the badge that inspired an ambitious teen to undertake a perilous nuclear experiment, a chess set used in an unparalleled match of Cold War wits, and the eerie animal specimens that once spread the fear of death across the southwestern United States.

Don examines a transparent roll of film that revolutionized the retail industry; a jacket that belonged to a prankster with an explosive sense of humor; and an unconventional excavation that puts a 500-year-old mystery to rest.

Host Don Wildman examines a preserved mass of human tissue at the center of an American political scandal, a massive skull from a man-eating beast, and a meteorite that was once part of an improbable heist.

Don Wildman examines a pin that's connected to a devious plot to assassinate the president, a bizarre contraption that was designed by a pioneer in the glitzy realm of Hollywood and a strange being that some believed was evidence of a close encounter.

Don examines a transparent roll of film that revolutionized the retail industry; a jacket that belonged to a prankster with an explosive sense of humor; and an unconventional excavation that puts a 500-year-old mystery to rest.

Saturday,Apr 4

12 | 11c

About the Show

Don Wildman visits America's museums, where strange and curious remnants of the past are revealed.

Photo Galleries

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St. Louis may be best known for the giant arch that is the “gateway to the West,” but the city is also home to a less-talked-about institution that introduces visitors to a very different slice of history. The World Chess Hall of Fame holds an array of artifacts, including one of the first computerized chessboards, game pieces carefully carved from precious materials and photographs of the greatest chess players of all time. 9601280

St. Louis may be best known for the giant arch that is the “gateway to the West,” but the city is also home to a less-talked-about institution that introduces visitors to a very different slice of history. The World Chess Hall of Fame holds an array of artifacts, including one of the first computerized chessboards, game pieces carefully carved from precious materials and photographs of the greatest chess players of all time.

St. Louis

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Within the museum’s collection, there is a very ordinary-looking chessboard. It’s 16 by 16 inches and consists of 64 wooden squares of alternating wood grain patterns — just like any other. However, this board is anything but ordinary. It not only played a pivotal part in one of the most epic chess matches ever, it almost started a world war.9601280

Within the museum’s collection, there is a very ordinary-looking chessboard. It’s 16 by 16 inches and consists of 64 wooden squares of alternating wood grain patterns — just like any other. However, this board is anything but ordinary. It not only played a pivotal part in one of the most epic chess matches ever, it almost started a world war.

Albuquerque, NM

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There are a number of sights in Albuquerque, NM, that highlight the region’s nuclear past, such as the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. There, visitors can view artifacts linked to the research and development of nuclear technology, including a B-29 Superfortress bomber plane, a nuclear test device called "The Gadget" and radioactive-influenced quackery from the early 20th century.9601280

There are a number of sights in Albuquerque, NM, that highlight the region’s nuclear past, such as the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. There, visitors can view artifacts linked to the research and development of nuclear technology, including a B-29 Superfortress bomber plane, a nuclear test device called "The Gadget" and radioactive-influenced quackery from the early 20th century.

New Mexico

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Tucked away inside the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History is an item that looks completely inadequate next to the larger exhibits. The story behind this Boy Scouts badge reveals a brush with disaster that placed an entire town in great danger.9601280

Tucked away inside the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History is an item that looks completely inadequate next to the larger exhibits. The story behind this Boy Scouts badge reveals a brush with disaster that placed an entire town in great danger.

New Mexico

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At one time these harmless-looking rodents could be considered cute. However, this specimen spread the fear of death among thousands of New Mexico residents and threatened an entire region.9601280

At one time these harmless-looking rodents could be considered cute. However, this specimen spread the fear of death among thousands of New Mexico residents and threatened an entire region.

New York City

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New York City has some of the tallest buildings in the world, but what many people don’t realize is that the city also has some of the biggest and most beautiful cathedrals in the United States. Trinity Church, at the head of what is now Wall Street, houses the Trinity Museum, where visitors can view exhibits connecting the past with the present. 9601280

New York City has some of the tallest buildings in the world, but what many people don’t realize is that the city also has some of the biggest and most beautiful cathedrals in the United States. Trinity Church, at the head of what is now Wall Street, houses the Trinity Museum, where visitors can view exhibits connecting the past with the present.

Trinity Church

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To see one of Trinity’s most intriguing items, you need to delve deep into the by-appointment archive. Inside this diary from 1880 is a succession of handwritten notes that catalogs a bizarre chapter in Trinity’s history — a devious scheme perpetrated by a cunning individual.9601280

To see one of Trinity’s most intriguing items, you need to delve deep into the by-appointment archive. Inside this diary from 1880 is a succession of handwritten notes that catalogs a bizarre chapter in Trinity’s history — a devious scheme perpetrated by a cunning individual.

New iberia, LA

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The southern Louisiana city of New Iberia was founded by Spaniards in 1779 but later became a refuge for Acadian French settlers deported from Nova Scotia by the British. New Iberia combines this Cajun culture clash with some down-home Southern charm, attracting visitors with its eclectic cuisine, old plantations and rollicking music scene. And on the city’s historic Main Street is the Bayou Teche Museum. Founded in 2010, this former grocery store chronicles the area’s rich history and is deliberately laid out in a winding pattern designed to resemble the snakelike curves of the Bayou Teche itself.9601280

The southern Louisiana city of New Iberia was founded by Spaniards in 1779 but later became a refuge for Acadian French settlers deported from Nova Scotia by the British. New Iberia combines this Cajun culture clash with some down-home Southern charm, attracting visitors with its eclectic cuisine, old plantations and rollicking music scene. And on the city’s historic Main Street is the Bayou Teche Museum. Founded in 2010, this former grocery store chronicles the area’s rich history and is deliberately laid out in a winding pattern designed to resemble the snakelike curves of the Bayou Teche itself.

Bayou Teche Museum

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Among the artifacts at the Bayou Teche Museum is a seemingly drab collection of slabs of uneven size and shape, the largest measuring 17 1/2 inches wide, 11 inches tall and 6 1/2 inches deep. These unassuming blocks were at the heart of a spicy story that led to the creation of one of today’s most recognizable brands. 9601280

Among the artifacts at the Bayou Teche Museum is a seemingly drab collection of slabs of uneven size and shape, the largest measuring 17 1/2 inches wide, 11 inches tall and 6 1/2 inches deep. These unassuming blocks were at the heart of a spicy story that led to the creation of one of today’s most recognizable brands.

San Mateo County History Museum

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Redwood City, CA, once known mostly as a port for lumber, is now a city in the heart of Silicon Valley. At the center of this high-tech town sits an institution that has survived many waves of change: the San Mateo County History Museum. Its displays hold such treasures as a stagecoach, a stained-glass dome and models of galleon ships that once docked nearby.9601280

Redwood City, CA, once known mostly as a port for lumber, is now a city in the heart of Silicon Valley. At the center of this high-tech town sits an institution that has survived many waves of change: the San Mateo County History Museum. Its displays hold such treasures as a stagecoach, a stained-glass dome and models of galleon ships that once docked nearby.

San Mateo County History Museum

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This gun on display at the San Mateo County History Museum represents the culmination of a conflict between 2 prominent San Franciscans and the race for mayor that made the city look like the Wild West all over again.9601280

This gun on display at the San Mateo County History Museum represents the culmination of a conflict between 2 prominent San Franciscans and the race for mayor that made the city look like the Wild West all over again.

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At the General Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit, CA, a massive tank harkens back to the terrifying day when a madman took control of a lethal war machine and laid siege to an American city.9601280

At the General Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit, CA, a massive tank harkens back to the terrifying day when a madman took control of a lethal war machine and laid siege to an American city.

General Patton Memorial Museum

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On May 18, 1995, US Army veteran Shawn Nelson stole the tank from a US National Guard armory and recklessly drove it through the streets of San Diego, leading to a 23-minute televised police chase. Police eventually climbed on top of the tank, and shot and killed Nelson.9601280

On May 18, 1995, US Army veteran Shawn Nelson stole the tank from a US National Guard armory and recklessly drove it through the streets of San Diego, leading to a 23-minute televised police chase. Police eventually climbed on top of the tank, and shot and killed Nelson.

Harding's Train Car

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At the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA, visitors can marvel at the stately train car of President Warren G. Harding, used to travel the country in an effort to reconnect with Americans.9601280

At the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA, visitors can marvel at the stately train car of President Warren G. Harding, used to travel the country in an effort to reconnect with Americans.

Southeastern Railway Museum

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On August 2,1923, while staying in a hotel during his train tour of America, President Harding died suddenly, in the middle of a conversation with his wife. 9601280

On August 2,1923, while staying in a hotel during his train tour of America, President Harding died suddenly, in the middle of a conversation with his wife.

International Cryptozoology Museum

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At the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME, a nondescript plaster cast of hoof prints tells of a series of hair-raising encounters with a mythical beast that was reportedly terrifying the good people of New Jersey. 9601280

At the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME, a nondescript plaster cast of hoof prints tells of a series of hair-raising encounters with a mythical beast that was reportedly terrifying the good people of New Jersey.

Jersey Devil

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The “Jersey Devil” is rumored to lurk in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. 9601280

The “Jersey Devil” is rumored to lurk in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.

Nell Donnelly's Dress

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This dress, designed by Nell Donnelly, reminds visitors of a terrifying incident in the 1930s when the famous fashion designer was kidnapped, then rescued by a group of mobsters. 9601280

This dress, designed by Nell Donnelly, reminds visitors of a terrifying incident in the 1930s when the famous fashion designer was kidnapped, then rescued by a group of mobsters.